Helen Oppenheimer Weyland: A Journey of Providence

 

More than one hundred years ago, a young Jewish woman named Helen Oppenheimer left Germany and began her journey to America. As the family story has been told, she was traveling to meet and marry a Jewish attorney in New York. But somewhere on that journey, aboard a ship crossing the ocean, Helen met a young man named Ferdinand C. Weyland.

Was it chance? Coincidence? Fate? Or was it the mysterious providence of God?

Ferdinand, known as Ferd, was returning to America after studying in Germany. He was preparing for ministry and would later become a Lutheran pastor. Helen was seven years older than he was, and her life seemed to be moving in a very different direction. Yet their meeting changed everything. They married three years later, after Ferd’s ordination, and Helen became a pastor’s wife in northern Wisconsin.

Helen Oppenheimer Weyland was my wife Naomi’s grandmother.

That one providential meeting shaped generations. Helen and Ferd raised four children in a home that was not easy or comfortable by modern standards. Life in northern Wisconsin included hard work, limited conveniences, and the demands of ministry. Ferd traveled to encourage pastors and congregations, while Helen supported him, raised their children, and faithfully lived out her calling.

Their children carried that legacy forward. Two became pastors, one became a college music professor and author, and one daughter, Helen Weyland Koerwitz, became a teacher. She would become Naomi’s mother.

The more I have researched Helen’s story, the more questions I have. What was she thinking as she stepped onto that ship? What did she know of God’s hand upon her life? Did she understand that one decision, one meeting, one conversation, could alter the course of a family for generations?

We may never know all the details this side of Heaven. But I do believe God was present in them.

Proverbs 19:21 says, “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.” Helen may have had one plan when she began her journey, but God had another. His purposes were larger than she could see.

I am especially thankful for Helen because, through her life and faith, God shaped the family line that eventually led to Naomi. Naomi loved the Lord, cherished Scripture, and was proud of her Jewish roots. Her grandmother’s journey became part of Naomi’s story, and Naomi’s story became part of mine.

Looking back, I see more than family history. I see grace. I see providence. I see God working through decisions, relationships, waiting, uncertainty, and even unanswered questions.

Helen’s life reminds me that God often does His deepest work quietly. A ship crossing the ocean. A conversation on deck. A change in direction. A marriage. A family. A legacy of faith.

What looked like an ordinary journey became part of a much greater story.

Helen Oppenheimer Weyland: Personal Letter. What I am Thankful for.

As I write this letter, this Thanksgiving day, Nov. 24, 2022, I have a feeling that you are aware of what I am doing. Tracing our family heritage back to my wife’s Jewish roots…after all these years…43 years of marriage to my wife Naomi Koerwitz Dassow, one of your granddaughters, who is proud of her “Jewish Roots”.

We have heard about you, but do not know very much…other than you met your husband Ferdinand Weyland on a ship when you immigrated to America…going to meet your intended Jewish husband in New York. Must have been quite an experience meeting “Ferd” and the time you spent on the ship and getting to know him and eventually “converting” as Jewish people say of the experience. I hope and pray it was not just a new “religious” set of beliefs but a real personal connecting with God through his son, Jesus Christ, your long awaited Messiah. I am excited to getting to know you a little after all these years through my research and then actually getting to meet you face to face in Heaven! Because of you, I have a wife who also loves the LORD and is proud of her Jewish roots and knows more of the Old Testament than a lot of Jewish people we have known…

The Bible says , …that we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus who prays for us. As I mentioned earlier I have a feeling you know what I am doing…I know I am on unchartered water here in writing this, but I truly believe the Holy Spirit is guiding me. Getting excited as I have about 50 questions I would like to ask you, and hope to know a little about you before we actually meet, but don’t know if…this is really important.

We know your life was not always easy as a Jewish young lady coming to America, leaving your family, friends and Jewish religious beliefs, and marrying a Lutheran pastor, living in Northern Wisconsin and somewhere becoming a real believer in Jesus. We know your sister Emma also immigrated to America and became a believer in Jesus, as her tombstone says, “Asleep in Jesus”. I’m sure you had a good relationship with her and that she was a real help and inspiration to you…

You helped raise and should be- are proud of your 2 sons who became pastors and the other son who was a college music professor and a daughter who was a Christian school teacher, Helen Weyland who was Naomi’s mother.

Looking forward to that grand meeting in Heaven. Not only with you, but your daughter, Helen Weyland Koerwitz, my wife, Naomi’s mother, whom I also have never met but looking forward to!

See you soon!

Richard Dassow.

And so, this story is not only about genealogy. It is about gratitude. It is about seeing God’s hand in the lives of people who came before us. It is about realizing that one meeting, one journey, one act of faith, can ripple through generations.

Helen’s story is part of Naomi’s story. Naomi’s story is part of my story. And all of it belongs to God.

To God be the glory.

A Journey to Buckhorn: Naomi, Prayer, and Providence

 

Sometimes the providence of God can be seen only when we look backward.

At the time, life may feel ordinary. A winter morning. A car buried in snow. A young nurse pulling on boots and facing another bitter day in northern Wisconsin. A quiet prayer half spoken and half sighed. But years later, we begin to see that God was working through all of it—the weather, the longing, the people, the memories, the restlessness, and even the questions.

That is how I think about Naomi’s journey to Buckhorn.

I recently found a few pages of Naomi’s writings from nearly fifty years ago. In those writings she used the name “Ann.” I do not know all the reasons why, but I can almost see her there in that story—young, thoughtful, practical, and quietly listening for the next step God had for her.

“Please let this be my last winter in all this cold and snow,” Ann half prayed and half sighed as she pulled up her hood, shoved on her high boots, and pushed open the door to check how much digging would be needed to get her car cleared off after last night’s fresh snowfall of eight more inches.

She stepped outside and took in short, gasping breaths of crisp, bitterly cold air. The sky above was brilliantly blue. The snow clung to the trees. The ground was covered with a shimmering, clean blanket of white. It was beautiful. But it was cold. Another twelve-below-zero day, the weatherman had said.

Naomi liked the farming country of northern Wisconsin. She liked the people. They appreciated her nursing skills, and that meant something to her. She had a nurse’s heart long before I knew her. She was not simply doing a job. She cared about people. She cared about their needs, their hurts, their families, and their dignity.

But something in her began to stir.

She wrote, “If I like this type of nursing so well, why not move to an even remoter area where there is a greater need for nurses?”

That thought may have seemed simple. But I believe it was one of those defining moments in her life. Not dramatic. Not announced with trumpets. Not debated in some great theological way. Just a thought, a question, a prompting.

Why not go where the need is greater?

When I think about Naomi now, I do not believe she spent months agonizing over whether she should serve. It seemed like the natural thing to do. It was the thing God called her to do. A real calling. She had the training. She had the compassion. She had the courage. And she had the willingness to go.

That willingness did not come out of nowhere.

Naomi had a Christian background that shaped her deeply. Her roots mattered. Her family mattered. Her childhood mattered. The people God placed around her mattered. One of those people was Gretch, Naomi’s older sister, who was eleven years older than Naomi.

When Naomi was about eleven years old, Gretch took her on a road trip to California to visit distant relatives. I do not remember all the details, and I may still find documents someday that fill in more of the story. But I do remember Naomi telling me about that trip several times. It must have opened her eyes to a wider world beyond her immediate surroundings.

Gretch also worked as a nurse at Children’s Hospital. Naomi was around Gretch’s life and heard the stories she brought home. Stories of children. Stories of families. Stories of suffering and care. Stories of what a nurse could mean in the life of another human being.

I cannot prove exactly when Naomi first thought, “I want to be a nurse.” But I believe those years with Gretch were part of God’s providence. A big sister. A road trip. Stories from a hospital. A young girl watching, listening, absorbing, and perhaps beginning to sense that God had a path for her too.

When we talk about calling, we often want it to sound spectacular. We want a voice from heaven or a detailed map of the future. But much of God’s guidance is quieter than that. He uses memories. He uses people. He uses needs. He uses circumstances. He uses the examples of those who go before us.

That is what I see in Naomi’s life.

Her decision to become a nurse was not just a career choice. It was connected to her heart. It was connected to her faith. It was connected to the kind of person God was forming her to be. And later, when she began to wonder about serving in an even more remote place, that too was connected to the providence of God.

The cold Wisconsin winter may have been part of it too. Naomi could see beauty in the snow-covered trees, but she also felt the burden of another long winter. “Please let this be my last winter in all this cold and snow.” That prayer may have sounded like a complaint. But maybe God was using even that longing to move her toward the next chapter.

Sometimes God uses discomfort to loosen our grip on where we are.

Not all discomfort is bad. Sometimes it is a holy restlessness. Sometimes it is the first movement of providence. We become less settled in one place because God is preparing us for another. We begin to ask new questions because He is opening a new door.

For Naomi, that door eventually led to Buckhorn, Kentucky.

Buckhorn was not glamorous. It was not easy. It was not the kind of place someone chose for comfort, convenience, or recognition. It was a place of need. A place where a nurse could matter. A place where the roads and hollers and mountain communities required more than technical skill. They required courage, compassion, patience, and love.

Naomi had those qualities.

This was before I knew her. This was before we were married. I only came to know her later, when she reluctantly returned to Milwaukee. But looking back now, I can see how God was writing her story long before I entered it.

That is another part of providence. God is always at work before we arrive.

Naomi’s journey to Buckhorn was not isolated from the rest of her life. It was connected to everything before it and everything after it. Her childhood. Her Christian roots. Gretch’s influence. The nursing stories from Children’s Hospital. The farming communities of northern Wisconsin. The cold winter prayer. The thought about going where nurses were needed more. The willingness to serve in a remote place.

One defining moment led to another.

I believe that is how God often works in our lives. We may not see the whole pattern while we are living it. We only see a step. A conversation. A memory. A need. A burden. A door. But later, when we look back, we begin to see the thread of God’s faithfulness.

Naomi and I were very different in some ways. I did not have the same Christian background as a child that she had. Not like Naomi’s. That is part of another story—how we met, how God brought us together, and how His providence shaped our marriage. But in many ways, we thought so much alike. We both came to believe deeply that God guides, provides, calls, and uses ordinary people for His purposes.

Naomi’s journey to Buckhorn reminds me that calling is not always complicated. Sometimes it is simply seeing a need and saying yes. Sometimes it is using the skills God has given us where those skills are most needed. Sometimes it is taking the next faithful step without knowing the whole road ahead.

Naomi did not go to Buckhorn to become famous. She went because people needed care. She went because nursing was more than a profession to her. She went because God had shaped her heart to serve.

And perhaps it all began, or at least became clearer, on a freezing northern Wisconsin morning when a young nurse stood in the snow and prayed, “Please let this be my last winter in all this cold and snow.”

God heard more in that prayer than she may have realized.

He heard the weariness. He heard the longing. He heard the willingness. He heard the heart of a nurse who was ready for a new assignment.

And in His time, by His providence, He led her to Buckhorn.

When I look back over Naomi’s life, I see more than memories. I see a trail of grace. I see the hand of God. I see how He used family, faith, work, weather, longing, and love to guide her steps.

That gives me hope for my own journey too.

Even now, after Naomi has gone to be with the Lord, I am still learning from her life. I am learning that God wastes nothing. I am learning that the small moments matter. I am learning that a simple prayer in the snow may become the beginning of a whole new chapter.

And I am learning again that providence is not just a doctrine to believe.

It is a story to remember.

It is Naomi’s story.

And it is ours too.

System for making Decisions: : Corona Virus

Whatever your most pressing decision is: Here is a good system for evaluating risk!

 Best/Worst Analysis  

B/WA Formula

 Notes taken from the book by Ben Carson,

 TAKE THE RISK: Learning to Identify, Choose, and Live with Acceptable Risk.

I would summarize one of the most important insights I took from the book as “How to make decisions without leaving God out of the equation!

Risk Analysis Process

You can print this and use as a template for decision making.

Questions to ask when making a decision:

What is the best thing that can happen if I do this?

What is the worst thing that can happen if I do this?

What is the best thing that can happen if I don’t do it?

What is the worst thing that can happen if I don’t do it?

________________________________

The rest of this post are My comments on his 4 questions.

Ask these questions in light of the following:

Outcomes may change over time because of changing conditions!

Who?

What?

Where?

When?

How?

Why?

Answering these familiar queries in the context of the four basic Best/Worst Analysis questions will sharpen the focus and refine the accuracy of any risk analysis process

WHERE

Where are you going? (Your goals)

Where are you now? (Your skills, your abilities, your thinking, and your attitudes)

Where will you start? (Your preparation)

WHEN

Often the timing of a Best/Worst Analysis affects our conclusion.

Always do a B/WA again whenever you think something has changed significantly: a year later, at a different point in life, or maybe after pondering some of these who, what, when,  how, and why considerations. Times change. So do circumstances. Sometimes those changes will affect your Best/Worst Analysis, modifying your thinking-maybe even reversing your decision.

HOW

You don’t have to address who, what, where, when, how, and why in any particular order.  They may need to be viewed simultaneously because they sometimes complement each other or need to be combined.

Sometimes answering one of the (how or?) conclusions may change your risk-analysis equation entirely.

WHY

It is impossible to do an effective B/WA without considering why. You need to examine, and often re examine, your reasoning in light of your motives, which involve your personal values.  Your values must be weighed carefully against you’re analyses and conclusions. 

Some Truths About RISK

1.                  Everything is Risky

2.                  The more we know, the more we worry.

3.                  A Lot of Risks Aren’t Worth the Worry.

4.                  We Can’t Eliminate All Risk

5.                  Minimizing Risk Is Often the Best We Can Do.

6.                  Each of Us Has to Decide What the Acceptable Risks Are

7.                  Not All Risks Are Bad

8.                  We Are All Going to Die of Something Eventually

 

Risk Number One-Thinking in New Ways

Risk Number Two-Weighing the Alternatives

Risk Number Three-Making Your Own Decision

Even when the Best/Worse Analysis doesn’t result in a particularly positive outcome, you are unlikely to have a worse outcome because you did the analysis, and what a B/WA does guarantee is that you consider the various possibilities in a reasonable, logical manner before making any uncertain or risky decision. That has to improve the odds that you come up with a happy solution-or at least with a reasonable and defensible course of action that will minimize the risk of regrets.

Need to weigh risks in light of my beliefs and my values. My obligations to others should be greater than any obligations to myself.

Since I believe God’s guidance and provision has brought me to this point, I should ask Him to open the doors He wants me to walk through and to give me wisdom in how to proceed.

Importance of using my talents and not allow minor interferences to derail my mission if life.

Creativity requires risk, so does exploration and innovation. Anyone who thinks outside the box is taking a risk.

In doing this risk analysis, one needs to consider the implications of any decision, not just for one’s self but for other people. How will my decision impact others?

Taking Us Out of the Middle

Once we manage to remove our egos from the equation, many of the most commonplace and unsettling personal risks we face in life become a lot less personal and no longer seem to be much of a risk after all.  That discovery frees us up to better concentrate on dealing with the real risks presented by truly important issues.

A few added thoughts: "Destiny is not a mystery. For better or worse, your destiny is the result of your daily decisions and defining decisions."  Mark Batterson. The Circle Maker.

"Along with daily decisions, there are defining decisions. We only make a few defining decisions in life, and then we spend the rest of our lives managing them." Mark Batterson. The Circle Maker. 

Something to pray about!

My Tweets for the day 

 

Important decision to make! 

Planning and it's importance

Pray, Plan and Prioritize...then delegate.

But don't get hung up on planning...the LORD can intervene at any moment and you can change direction! Keep your ears open!


"You already know the ultimate destination of your journey: your entrance into heaven. So keep your focus on the path just before you, leaving outcomes up to Me" Nov 19th Devotion from Jesus Calling by Sarah Young.

 "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD'S purpose that prevails." Proverbs 19:21

As Oswald Chambers states : "The circumstances of a man's life are ordained by God. In the life of a saint there is no chance. God by His providence brings you into circumstances that you cannot understand at all, but the Spirit of God understands. God brings you to places, among people, and into certain conditions to accomplish a definite purpose through the intercession of the Spirit in you." 


Is Jesus the only way to Heaven?The circumstances of a man's life are ordained bly God. In the life of a saint there is no chance

A few notes on "Planning" from the book of Proverbs:

"For a man's ways are in full view of the LORD, and he examines all his paths." Proverbs 5:21

"Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed." Proverbs 16:3

"In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps." Proverbs 16:9



"The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty." Proverbs 21:5

"Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth." Proverbs 27:1

We have to remember that these are observations...reality, not promises from the Bible. Our actions have consequences.


So, be sure to pray before making plans...and continue to pray!



Let me know your thoughts!
Have a great day!

Finding your place to put your gifts & strengths to work, making a difference for eternity

"...Embodying the love of Jesus Christ in the city and the world."  A good vision or mission statement!

The Journey of Life:  To Be God's people..."Embodying the love of Jesus Christ in the city and the world"!

How can one do that?

Start with prayer!

 "I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I do know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve."-Albert Schweitzer
 
"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:10 

 If we truly are Jesus's hands and feet in the world...how can we be good stewards and invest our lives for His glory?  So we can truly make a difference in the world!

●  When searching for Nonprofits to invest in...either as a volunteer or as an investor, what should I be looking for and why?
 
● Start with your church! Look at your churches' website. What is their Mission statement and Vision for your city and the world?

●  It should jump out at you!  And then a clear statement as to how you can serve with them to help fulfill the Lord's vision both for your city and the world! Simple! 

● Maybe even a few short "Serving descriptions" with a 3 minute video of a volunteer telling what they do?


● What is your PASSION? 


● This is the most important item to consider. Need some help in clarifying your passion?

●  Now you need to know your Strengths!  Strengthsfinder 2.0. 

● The $19.99 version is great to use. It gives you your top 5 "Strengths" of the 35 "Strengths."
You get a beautiful 16 page printout of your "Strengths" and how to use them. 

●  If you still aren't convinced to do the "Strengthsfinder 2.0" Assessment...contact me and I will send you my 16 page printout. Just a sample of what you would receive. 


● Set up a visit with your church Volunteer Coordinator, or your favorite non profit.
Be sure to bring along your Strengths" printout to show them and ask how you can use your "Passion" and "Strengths" in advancing their Mission and Vision! Simple!

● Do they have a plan to integrate your Passion, Gifts and Strengths into their ministry and outreach?  Don't get discouraged. This may be something new to them. Set up another meeting.
Are they interested in seeing how your "Strengths" can be a vital part of them fulfilling God's vision and mission with you partnering with them or are they just looking to fill an empty position? Has anyone in their organization taken the assessment?   Maybe you spoke with the wrong person? May be time to move on...

● Don't give up on your church!  Send them a link to this post! 

What one church is doing helping people assess their S.H.A.P.E

Your Spiritual gifts, Heart or Passion, Abilities, Personality and Experiences.
You can take an assessment and they will get back to you with possible places to use your S.H.A.P.E. It's a good assessment, but they don't look at your "Strengths".

Would love to hear your experience! Connect with me on Linkedin or Twitter. 

Meeting for coffee to further discuss your opportunities! 

This Blog is searchable...by Keyword.  Try Strengths, Ministry, Calling, Volunteering, Mission,Vision, Faith, S.H.A.P.E, Passion, Boomer, Eastbrook...to see previous posts going back 8 years. 

   
●  With the thousands of non profits out there...how can I evaluate them?

●  With our instant access to information on the internet, we are probably already searching and can easily get confused. What are we really looking for and why?

●  Even if we don't know it...we are looking for an organization that aligns with our passion...our desires. We all want to make a difference in the world, don't we? 

● The best way is to start as a volunteer with an organization if possible.

 ●  So start by looking at their website!

●  What you want to find immediately when looking at their website:

 1. Mission Statement

2.  Vision Statement or their strategy for reaching their mission.

A great place to start to volunteer is in your own neighborhood...and you set the schedule!

●  This is what I am telling charities that they need on their website!
The Basic info you need on your site! 

●  But what are donors really looking for?

●  You already had some idea of who you wanted to donate to!


 ●   It's all about Passion and Relationships!  What am I passionate about? A Clue

 ●   What is Passion?  "..passion is morally neutral. It is simply a strong feeling or deep longing  for something." ..."Passion is the God-given ability to feel so deeply about something that it causes us to move toward the object of desire. This passion stems from an urge given by God-a burden, an emotional response to a need or opportunity He wants us to move toward. It's not a feeling that we experience and then lose easily. It's persistent and powerful. We can't ignore it."  Discover Your Destiny by Bill & Kathy Peel.

"The thing is to understand myself, to see what God wishes me to do...to find the idea for which I can live and die"-Soren Kierkegaard
 
 "The great use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it.” —William James

"...Embodying the love of Jesus Christ in the city and the world."  A good vision or mission statement!

●  So, what is your passion? 

●  We must have clarity about the Vision and Mission of an organization. If I am looking for a charity that I can volunteer with, I look for people I respect who are practical-minded. I want to be sure it's the sort of project that I can bring something of value to, and in which I'm being involved in a meaningful way. So I always ask myself: Is it a mission I believe in? Do I believe in the people who are in it? and does it use my talents and gifts in a way that engage me?"

●  So one of the best ways to evaluate a charity is to volunteer with them...if they are in your area or have a local chapter...like The American Red Cross or The Salvation Army...just two examples!  They are looking for volunteers! They have FREE training, both online and classroom . ●  No matter what your passion, gifts, abilities, past experience, personality etc. are, each of these organizations has a place for you!  You just have to have patience and talk to people at the organization...and start getting connected. The same for any organization.  These are just two International organizations that have local chapters around the country within easy driving distance. Obviously, there are probably other similar organizations that have local chapters. 


●  When contacting an organization...consider calling and talking to Communications  Director or Volunteer Director.  But do your research on their website first!

●  This is what you want to immediately see and clearly understand!

 1. Vision Statement

2.  Mission Statement

3.  Their Strategy for reaching their Mission

4.  It's also great if they have some testimonies from reciepients of their ministry! 


●  There's a lot of noise going on in the world. We need to listen to God speaking to us and that it is God that is speaking.

●   When I stand before Jesus one day, I want to hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant". Isn't that what you want to hear?
So what are we asking ourselves as we view their website and consider if we should invest in their cause?
So what is God calling me to do?
We all know there is no I in TEAM.
What is God doing in the world through this organization?

●  Can I be a part of their TEAM by donating to Our cause?  As a volunteer and or investor. Yes, it's our cause!

●  If we are already volunteering with an organization...do we feel a part of the TEAM?
How?
How do they communicate with you?
Newsletter?
Phone call for funds?
Phone call to see how you are doing and if you would like prayer?
If you are on social media, do you promote your favorite organization? Tweets and Retweets.
Status Updates on Linkedin. Does organization acknowledge your efforts? 

Have I prayed about how I might be a good steward and use God's funds to further His cause through this organization?

●  Do I need more help in evaluating this organization?

●  How To Make Wise Choices When Investing Your Funds In A Charity! 

●  Where Would You Like to Volunteer?

 

●   If you have questions about the non profits mission and if they are TRUE to the founders original mission, Is The Organization You Want to Volunteer With, True To Their Mission? and why it is important!

 

●   Has your favorite non profit drifted away from it's original vision and Mission?   A good read on this subject of "Mission Drift"

 

Finding peace with God

  I welcome your thoughtful insights. Richard

N